A week ago (well, actually a work week), the Packers won the Super Bowl and the state was united behind the courageous Charles Woodson and the others: Rogers, Driver, Jennings and Matthews.
Everyone felt great.
In the ensuing week, the mood for many got gloomy, then breath-takingly depressing:
Scott Walker, who won electionwith just 52% of the vote, was widening his imperious and unchecked extension of executive power - - beginning early in the week with the suspension of the broadly-popular Stewardship Program through which the state and local non-profits partner to acquire open space to pass along to future generations, and ending Friday with Walker's plan legislatively to wipe out most collective bargaining rights for public employees.
The goal: slam public employees, damage Democratic Dane County's equilibrium and economy, and deflate unions across the stat.
All the while strengthening employers through tax breaks and gubernatorial control of the state's process to promulgate administrative rules - - in itself a huge win for big business at the expense of transparency and consumer power.
Combine that with the coming attack on traditional Wisconsin voting procedures through legislators' assault on the myth of voter fraud concocted by Republicans and the Walker Gang's intent is clear:
Embed radical changes deeply into Wisconsin public life and policy-making, because everyone in politics knows it's easier to do things than to undo them.
With legislative majorities, ideological allies in talk radio and an unwillingness to include others in their decision-making circle, the die seems cast for years of self-interested and harsh Republican rule.
Progressive Wisconsin R.I.P.
Quite the opposite James. This a-clown is the best thing that can happen for Progressivism in the 21st Century in Wisconsin. Stop the navel-gazing, and dish out the punishment.
ReplyDeleteMake 2012 the apocalyse of the Sykes/ Belling GOP. I think it can happen if you play the cards right.
I would not be too quick to declare Progressive ideology totally canned and buried. Professor Krugman calls out our little Senator Pauly Ryan in the NYT today. Seems our Senator doesn't think reading past the bluster of headlines and showboating is more important than the truth, i.e., reading the fine print.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/11/opinion/11krugman.html?_r=2&ref=opinion
Me thinks the Republican, hoped for, darling, rising star is nothing much more than a Red dwarf, one of the stars that are by far the most common type of star in outer space. Enough said there. Reminds me of a song, "Ground control to Major Paul..."